a thousand paper cranes
by decrescence
Summary: For the entire duration of the war, Sakura had been consumed with the task of healing an immeasurable amount of wounded shinobi left and right at every hour of the day, but at the end of it all, the last person in her care was none other than Uchiha Sasuke. SasuSaku.


**a/n: Hi guys, it's been a while since I uploaded anything, but I wrote this oneshot for one of my friends on tumblr and decided to post it. I just want to point out that I'm not up to date with the anime or manga by any means, so I apologize if this clashes against the plot. I hope you enjoy reading anyway! c:**

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It had been a cloudless morning almost two years after Naruto's departure when Sakura came across a worn and slightly frayed copy of old myths and legends. Her eyes had grazed the book's spine several times as she scanned the titles in front of her, and her attention always seemed to return to it, so she eventually pulled it from the library's shelf in order to satisfy her curiosity. She leafed through the delicately bound book, skimming through its pages until she found the ancient legend of _Senbazuru_, a thousand paper cranes.

The legend had beckoned towards her, motioning for her to come closer, so Sakura bowed her head gently and allowed it to whisper in her ears. It promised her that if she were to fold one thousand paper cranes, a wish of any kind, any kind at all, would be granted to her.

Sakura knew that almost anyone would wish for something along the lines of an arrogant amount of money, a long, prosperous life, or perhaps great knowledge, but what she wanted was completely different. There was only one thing—one person to be exact—that she yearned for and desired to see, but he was locked away in a world that she could barely even imagine.

A few cranes seemed like such a small price to pay in order to rescue him, so Sakura made a soundless oath to herself that day, swearing that she'd fold as many cranes as it took for her wish to come true.

Throughout the next few years, Sakura spent her time unused by training and missions folding the paper cranes. She only thought of him, only Sasuke, every time her fingers intertwined with the smooth paper.

.

.

.

It had been an oddly still afternoon on the eve of the invasion.

Sakura had been sitting cross-legged on the floor, busy with a small sheet of dark crimson origami paper, but when the sound of high-pitched shrieks and yells caught her attention, she dashed outside to investigate, leaving the crane behind, half-completed.

The number of lives the war had taken was incredibly high. The presence of blood was everywhere—painted on the ground underneath their feet, lingering in the very air they breathed, smeared on the faces of both the fighting and the fallen—and it would remain that way as long as the memories of the battles still existed.

For the entire duration of the war, Sakura had been consumed with the task of healing an immeasurable amount of wounded shinobi left and right at every hour of the day, but at the end of it all, the last person in her care was none other than Uchiha Sasuke.

When she had found him, Sasuke had been bent over on his side, several long strides away from Naruto, who lay on the opposite side of the crater caused by their collision. A team of medic-nins had already gathered around Konoha's savior, but Sasuke was completely alone, red tears streaming from the damage done to his chest, at the very right of his heart.

Sakura had unhesitatingly spilled the entirety of her chakra reserves onto his bloody, bloody wounds, but even after she was completely drained of all her energy, it seemed as if she hadn't done a thing.

The most she could do was hold and comfort him as he slowly slipped further and further away.

.

.

.

And now, as Sakura stood in front of him again, it felt as if all her efforts had been completely futile. She hadn't been able to finish her task of folding a thousand paper cranes and never had the chance to make her wish. Deep down, she knew that the legend might not have decided to keep its promise, but it didn't matter so much anymore. It was all over, and Sasuke hadn't been able to make it back after all.

Sakura kneeled down to greet him, lacing her fingers through the tufts of grass that had begun to protrude from the newly dug soil. She lifted her hands slowly and wiped away the thin layer of dirt that had clouded the headstone's marble surface. Trembling, she dipped her fingertips into the indentations of Sasuke's name and traced over the characters in gentle strokes.

It took a moment or Sakura to realize that she was crying, but she wiped her tears away as soon as she noticed.

She then pulled out a small bag and opened it, carefully dumping its contents, the last of the hundred paper cranes that had been completed too late, at the feet of the gravestone. She arranged the cranes carefully in a medley of both dark and bright colors, making sure to put two cranes in particular side by side.

The sight of the indigo and rose colored cranes besides each other triggered a memory she'd never forget, and a sad smile blossomed onto Sakura's face as she thought back to it.

.

.

.

_"Just… let me go…" Sasuke had managed to mutter in hoarse, raspy intervals. "You can't help me…"_

_He lifted his left hand and closed it over Sakura's right in an attempt to push her away him, but he found that he was far too weak and decided to leave their hands entwined over his chest._

_"Sasuke-kun, I have to heal y—" She began, hysteria creeping into her voice._

_"No… you don't._

_Tears began to blur Sakura's vision, but she wasn't able to wipe them away with Sasuke's hold preventing her from doing so. His grip tightened slightly as her teardrops fell and more formed._

_"Sakura…"_

_"Y-yes, Sasuke-kun?"_

_"Thank you for staying with me… until the very end."_

_And then his hands fell from hers and didn't reach for them again._

.

.

.

Sakura realized that in a way, Sasuke had been able to make home, even if his time was cut short. She was his home; she was who he belonged with, and, although he would never admit it, they had both known this from the start.

Both of them were like cranes in a way; even though they had been separated and taken flight at completely different times, one day, they'd meet each other again and reunite in the same sky.


End file.
